al-Adab al-Nabawi
- Author died
- 1349 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Ma‘rifah
al-Adab al-Nabawi (Prophetic Etiquette) is a work on hadith morality and practical ethics by the Egyptian scholar and jurist Muhammad Abd al-Aziz al-Khuli (1310–1349 AH / 1892–1931 CE) . It compiles selected authentic prophetic traditions accompanied by thematic and linguistic commentary designed to address contemporary social life and moral education .
Purpose and Approach
Al-Khuli noted in his introduction that earlier scholars had produced comprehensive commentaries on prophetic traditions, but their works often abounded in detailed grammatical parsing, disparate chains and variants, and digressions expressed in the terminology and context of earlier eras . He observed that this method could be wearisome for readers and students who lacked advanced specialization in Arabic syntax or hadith transmission .
To bridge this gap, al-Khuli assembled hundreds of sound, authentic traditions that bore direct relevance to modern personal and social life . His stated goal was to craft a modern, accessible commentary capable of engaging literary readers, educators, students, and general audiences seeking spiritual, ethical, and behavioral refinement .
Structure and Method
The work incorporates all hadiths that were prescribed in the curricula of Egyptian schools across various educational tiers, alongside numerous supplementary traditions . Al-Khuli divided the book into two distinct sections:
- The first part features detailed, expansive commentary on the selected traditions .
- The second part adopts a concise commentary style, as the foundational explanations provided in the earlier section rendered extensive repetition unnecessary .
The author organizes the material into thematic chapters, beginning with the effect of intentions on actions based on the hadith إنّما الأعمال بالنيّات ("Actions are judged only by intentions") . Under each chapter, he presents the text of the hadith and its attribution to canonical collections, followed by two analytical subsections:
- Language (al-Lughah): Clarifies the lexical derivations, grammatical nuances, and juristic definitions of the terms within the tradition .
- Commentary (al-Sharh): Explores the practical and moral implications of the hadith, examining human motives, psychological states, and social responsibilities while citing supporting verses from the Quran .
Publication History
al-Adab al-Nabawi has been issued in multiple printings, including editions published by Dar al-Ma'rifah in Beirut in 1400 AH (1980 CE) and 1404 AH (1984 CE) , and by al-Maktabah al-Asriyyah in 1425 AH (2004 CE) . The text has also appeared with critical collation and hadith verification edited by Abd al-Majid Muhammad Riad Tu'mah Halabi .
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